Let’s be honest — B2B sales can feel like witchcraft.

Everyone has their “proven method,” fancy acronyms, and endless frameworks, but at the end of the day, selling is a dark art. It’s part process, part psychology, and part bullshit — and somehow, it all works if you make it your own.

Chris Howard once said there’s no single playbook that fits everyone. You take the essence of what works, adapt it to your style, and ignore the rest. But there are a few things that always help — especially when you’re trying to rekindle old conversations or sell into big organizations that move slower than a government website.

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If you’ve ever tried to re-engage an old lead after months of silence, you know how awkward it feels. You want to reach out, but you also don’t want to sound pushy.

Here’s the secret: you can’t just reach out to sell. It almost always falls flat.

You need an outside reason to reconnect — something natural, not “Hey, remember me?”

Look for a reason that feels organic — maybe they posted on LinkedIn, spoke at an event, or launched something new.

Message them like this:

It works because it shows you’re paying attention, not chasing a deal.

If it’s been six months or more, just invent a reminder.

It’s cheeky, but it works. Most people won’t remember, and as long as you’re polite, it opens the door naturally.

If things went cold, ask a mutual contact to reconnect you. A friendly re-intro rebuilds credibility instantly.

Here’s where most founders mess up: when you sell B2B, you’re not selling to a person — you’re selling to a machine made of processes, politics, and people.

But inside that machine are humans with emotions, ambitions, and egos.

You have to understand both layers:

You sell to the human, but the human sells your idea to the machine.

What the company buys: Proof of profit.

Show clearly how £1 spent leads to £3 earned or saved. No evidence = no sale.

What the person buys: Ego and promotion.

They want to be the smart one who found the fix. Give them numbers for the boardroom and a story they can brag about.

What the company buys: Access to new audiences.

Your product needs to deliver reach or visibility — not just “awareness,” but conversations with potential customers.

What the person buys: Recognition.

They want to be seen as the one who found the next growth hack or partnership. Help them look good internally.

What the company buys: Capability or knowledge.

Can you make them faster, smarter, or better at what they do? That’s your proof.

What the person buys: Pride in innovation.

They want to be the one who improved the product or brought in something new.

Founders often focus only on logic — “Here’s what my product does.” But logic alone rarely closes deals.

You can have a brilliant solution, but if the person you’re speaking to doesn’t feel excited or valued, it won’t move forward. Build the relationship first, then make it easy for them to justify the decision internally.

That’s why every B2B sale starts with a relationship. You’re not just selling a product — you’re selling a story someone inside the company wants to tell.

If you can’t yet deliver profit, access, or capability — don’t panic. You can still sell collaboration:

That turns a “no” into a partnership and keeps the door open.

If you can’t prove one of these:

…your product isn’t ready for B2B yet.

It doesn’t mean quit — it means build more proof before chasing big contracts.

And stop saying, “The company just doesn’t get it.”

Companies aren’t people. You’re selling to a machine through a person. Understand both.

Rekindling old leads and selling to big organizations both come down to one word: empathy.

Understand what pressures they’re under and what emotional win they’re chasing.

Be human. Create reasons to reconnect.

Speak both languages — logic for the machine, emotion for the human.

Sales isn’t about scripts or tricks. It’s about knowing what people really want — sometimes that’s just to look good in front of their boss.

✅ If this hit home, share it — there’s probably a founder in your circle still trying to sell to “companies” instead of the people inside them.

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